The charming salesman Harold Hill comes calling, the stubborn Iowa folks are highly suspicious of him, but eventually he wins the affection of Marian the Librarian and (most of) the townsfolk. Instead of “trouble, right here in River City,” we have trouble — big economic trouble — right here in Mason City. And Dubuque. And Davenport. And Clear Lake.

Rick Perry is every bit the charming salesman. He’s gotta give Iowa a try! The stubborn Iowa folks are a bit miffed that he jilted them by announcing his presidential candidate in South Carolina. (Why not in “Gary, Indiana”?) But he’s speaking sweetly to the mayor’s wife, trying to convince the folks in the churchyards that he’s not a bad guy after all.

We don’t know how this musical ends, deep in the heart of Iowa. Will Rick Perry be their “white knight”? Or will “Iowa stubborn” send him packing on the next train for parts unknown. The Texas governor hopes this show ends up on caucus night with a love song: “‘Til There Was You.”

Texas Tips

Every morning, we offer Texas news you may not have heard and insights from the Washington bureau staff.

★ MEET RICK PERRY. Gov. Rick Perry has been a presidential candidate for mere days and is already feeling the heat. The Texas Democratic Party launched an anti-Perry website called MeetRickPerry.com, with the goal of sparing Americans of the Texas governor’s leadership on a national level. Ouch. More>>>

★ COMPETITION FOR GOHMERT. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Tyler, may have some competition in the next election as former Harrison County Judge Richard Anderson contemplates trying to snag the spot in the U.S. House. If he does decide to go for it, he could have trouble as a Democrat in a largely Republican district. More>>>

★ BRADY’S FRIDAY NIGHT FUNDRAISER. Rep. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands, made a cameo at a fundraising event Friday night, following a press conference about the federal budget bill that passed earlier this month. Brady was joined by U.S. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor. More>>>